fembly called for Evidence; the Governor imparted all he could collect; and, after a ftrict Examination of the Premises, the Affembly chofe only to glance at the Inflammatories thrown in their Way, and to profefs their Readiness to concur with the Governor in whatever might preferve the Harmony between the feveral Branches of the Legiflature, fo neceffary at all Times and especially at a Crifis fo important, fo far as the Prefervation of their Rights and the Duty they owed their Conftituents would permit. Not departing, however, from their former Sentiments, nor admitting any one of the Articles laid against them; but, on the contrary, maintaining, That the Secretary of State's Letter could be the only Rule of their Conduct; and tacitly upbraiding the Governor for having fuddenly altered the whole Connection between Penfylvania and Virginia, in Confequence of such supposed Misconduct of theirs: And concluding their Replication in thefe Words: As Governor Dinwiddie had laid before his Affembly the Earl of Holderneffe's Letter, fent, as we prefume, in the fame Terms to all the Colonies on the Continent, we judged it most prudent to wait till the Affembly of that Government had enabled him to act in Obedience to the Royal Commands, efpecially as they had that Letter under their Confideration from the firft of November laft, as appears by the Journal of their Houfe of Burgeffes now before us; but we are now called upon as Principals, and the Governor is pleased to inform us, That he (has undoubted Affurance, that Part of his Majefty's Dominions within this Government is at this Time invaded by the Subjects of a foreign Prince, who have erected Forts within the fame; and calls upon us, purfuant to his Majefty's Orders in the present • Emergency, to grant fuch Supplies as may enable him to refift those hoftile Attempts, and rèpel Force by Force: But, as it appears to us that the Governor is enjoined by the Royal Orders, not to act as a Principal beyond the undoubted Limits of his Go

vernment;

vernment; and as, by the Papers and Evidences ... fent down and referred to by the Governor, those Limits have not been clearly afcertained to our Satisfaction; we fear the altering our Connections with his Majefty's Colony of Virginia, and the precipitate Call upon us, as the Province invaded, cannot anfwer any good Purpose at this Time, and there"fore we are now inclined to make, a fhort Adjourn'ment.'

The Adjournment they propofed was to the fixth of May: And, before they broke up, the Governor again addreffed them with another Meffage, in which he also affected to wave feveral Things perfonal to himself, which, at another Time, he might have thought it incumbent on him to take Notice of; and proceeded to tell them, That, had they examined with their ufual Accuracy the Gentlemen, who by his Appointment attended their Houfe, and compared their Teftimony with the written Papers at feveral Times communicated to them, he thought, it would have appeared fo clear to them, that the French had lately erected one or more Forts far within the Limits of the Province, that nothing less than an actual Menfuration could have made it more evident: That, even taking it for granted, however, the fore-mentioned Incroachments were not within the faid Limits, yet he, having been informed by the Governor of Virginia, that hoftile Attempts had been made on Part of his Majefty's Dominions, and called upon by him for the Affiftance of this Province, it was equally their Duty, to grant fuch Supplies as the prefent Exigency of Affairs required: And, that he could not but be apprehenfive, that fo long an Adjournment would fruftrate his Majesty's juft Expectations from them.

This Meffage was dated March 9 And April 2, we find them fitting by his fpecial Summons again: The Occafion of which was the next Day explained in the ufual Way by Meffage, as follows: I am now to acquaint you, Gentlemen, that, fince your Adjournment, I have received from Governor Din

・ widdie,

widdie, the feveral Papers herewith laid before you; by which it will appear, that he is taking all ima ginable Pains for the Security of his Majefty's Dominions, fo far as the Provifion made by his Af fembly will permit him to act; and that he is very impatient to know the Iffue of your Deliberations on this Subject.-I cannot, therefore, doubt but," agreeable to the Profeffions in your Meffage of the twenty-feventh of February, "of being ready and willing to demonftrate your Duty and Loyalty, by "giving fuch Sums of Money to the King's Ufe, up"on all fuitable Occafions, as may confift with your "Circumftances, or can reasonably be expected from "this Province;" I fay I cannot doubt but you will, < with the greatest Alacrity, lay hold on the prefent Opportunity of evincing the Sincerity of thofe Profeffions, by granting fuch an Aid to his Majefty, as may comport with the Circumstances of the • Province, and be fuitable to the Exigence of the Service. And, in the doing of this, I hope you ⚫ will be guided rather by the Importance of the Concern, than by the Example of other Colonies: It being found by Experience to be a very ill-judged Piece of Economy to cramp an Enterprize of this Nature in the Article of Supplies; and, that whatever is given on fuch Occasions, fhort of being suf⚫ficient to accomplish the Ends propofed, becomes, for the moft Part, a Wafte of fo much Treafure, without anfwering any of the Purposes for which it was intended...

I have at Prefent only to add my Requeft, that whatever you intend to do on this Occafion, may receive all the Difpatch the Nature of the Thing will admit of; the Seafon of the Year for Action! advancing fo faft, that, unless our Measures be fpeedily taken, they will, I fear, be rendered altogether unserviceable.'

Upon the Fifth, after many Debates, it was refolved, by a fmall Majority, That a Sum of Money fhould be given for the King's Ufe; and what the Sum

fhould

should be, occafioned many Debates more: Twenty ThouJand Pounds being propoled on the Ninth, it paffed in the Negative by a Majority of twenty-five to eight: Reduced to Fifteen Thoufand Pounds it paffed in the Negative twenty-three to ten: Reduced to Ten Thousand Pounds, it paffed in the Negative twenty-two to eleven; and again reduced to Five thousand Pounds the next Day, it again paffed in the Negative twenty-two to ten. Those who had hitherto led the House, voting affirmatively; and, on the contrary, those who had hitherto voted affirmatively, going over to the Remainder of the Negatives: And this apparent Perplexity was, in their Reply to the Governor's Meflage, thus accounted for: And we now beg Leave to inform the Governor, that we have had that Meffage under our ferious Confideration ever • fince it came down to the Houfe; but after all our • Debates thereupon, we find, that near one Half of the Members are, for various Reafons, againft grant ng any Money to the King's Ufe at this Time; and thofe who are for granting, differ fo widely in their Sentiments concerning the Sum, that there feems at prefent no Poffibility of their agreeing, except in fuch a Sum, as, in the Judgment of many of them, is quite difproportionate to the Occafion: Therefore, and that the Members may have an Opportunity of confulting their Conftituents on this important Affair, we are now inclined to adjourn to the Thirteenth of the next Month.'

.

6

6

According to their Adjournment, the House met again, May 6, and were informed by the Governor of the Arrival of a Body of French Forces, confifting of upwards of 1000 Men, before the Fort building by the Virginians on the Obio, and the Surrender thereof. He also laid before them the Difpatches he had feverally received from Governor Dinwiddie of Virginia, concerning the State of that Province, and the Succours he wanted and expected; and from Governor Delancy of New-York, concerning the Interest of his Majefty's Colonies in General, as well as of

Penfyl

Penfylvania in particular; and faid, he hoped they ⚫ would have their due Weight with them in their • Deliberations and Advice.'-The Propofals made by the Governors of Boston and New-York for an Union of the feveral Colonies in Indian Affairs, he then recommended to them earnestly, as agreeable to his own Sentiments, and likely to be productive of more real Benefit, at much lefs Expence than the Method hitherto in Ufe of making frequent and diftinct Presents to the Indians, &c. And he defired to be enabled to inftruct the Commiffioners to be fent from their Province, to concur with thofe of the other Colonies, in Cafe a reasonable Plan fhould be offered.

A joint Bill, for granting an Aid to the King and replacing torn and ragged Bills of Credit, was the Refult of their first Day's Debate, and, after several Divifions, the feveral Sums were fettled at Ten Thoufand Pounds for the King and Twenty Thousand for the other Purpose.

The Commons of Great-Britain will not fuffer a Money-Bill to be amended: The Lords may reject: His Majefty may refuse his Affent: But what they give, they give upon their own Terms.

In Penfylvania a Money-Bill exacted from the Province, by all the Confiderations which could affect generous Minds, or intimidate weak ones, the Dread of an Enemy at the Gates, and of incurring both the Royal Displeasure and the public Odium, for not making a feasonable Provision against his Approaches, could not be accepted without Amend

ments.

Even this Bill, at fuch a Crifis offered, and for fuch a Service, was returned by the Governor, with Amendments, prefaced with a written Meffage, of which the two following were the moft material Paragraphs: viz.

Confidering the Royal Inftruction laid before the Affembly laft Year, it must be apparent that I have, merely from a Defire to oblige you, con• fented